Sow alternative crops, Harish tells cotton farmers

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today said the TRS government has been implementing many welfare schemes while other States were not doing so. He also said the flagship scheme “KG-to-PG” will be launched from this academic year to offer free qualitative education to the poor.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Harish Rao called upon the farmers in the State to opt alternate crops instead of going in for regular cotton growing. “The farming community should refrain from sowing cotton as that will result in losses”, he maintained. As the monsoon season is set to begin, the farmers should sow crops like soya bean, maize, red gram, green gram, black gram and others to reap in benefits. While cotton crop requires more investment and yield less produce resulting in loss, the other crops do not require much investment and can expect more yield to reap in benefits, Harish Rao noted.

The minister said the State government will offer needed support to the farmers for alternative crops, he said, adding that adequate stocks of fertilizers and seed are kept ready at mandal, zonal and district levels. Besides sanctioning 250 residential schools, the State government has extended Kalyana Lakhsmi scheme to Backward Class girls, he added. (NSS)